Friend Killer Kakashi
by Mossy Tree
Summary: "They are no longer your students. They are my subordinates!" Oneshot.


**A/N:** _Setting is Season 2 Episode 21. Please enjoy!_

* * *

"They are no longer your students. They are my subordinates!"

Iruka blinked. He was angry. No, not just angry. He was furious. He had spent days, weeks, months, years nurturing those children, especially Naruto. His heart ached at the thought of Naruto being in the Chunin Exam. It was a dangerous place, far too dangerous for such young children!

"That's not exactly comforting!" Iruka shouted back.

"Let it go, Iruka-san. He is in charge of them now," the Third Hokage told him.

"No!" Iruka yelled, "I'm not just going to let it go!"

"Well, you don't exactly get to make that choice," Kakashi said in a calm voice.

Infuriatingly calm. Iruka's blood boiled.

"I'd expect to hear that from you, Kakashi. Friend Killer Kakashi."

The room had gone completely silently except for Iruka's deep breaths. All eyes focused on the two men. The ninjas watched with baited breath to see Kakashi's reaction.

Kakashi's one visible eyebrow had narrowed, but the rest of his face was placid, unreadable. He turned away from Iruka and looked at the Third Hokage.

"So, it's decided," Kakashi stated, "All of the rookie Genin will take the Chunin Exam."

He turned and looked pointedly at Iruka.

"Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura…" he paused, "and Uzumaki Naruto."

Kakashi turned and walked away, an icy tension still hanging in the air.

* * *

Iruka was at home. He shook his head to try to clear himself of the memory.

' _That was mean. That was hurtful,'_ Iruka thought _, 'I shouldn't have said that."_

His heart felt like it was at war with itself. On the one hand, he was angry at Kakashi for placing his former students in such peril. On the other hand, he had lashed out at Kakashi in a way he knew would hurt. Iruka closed his eyes and screwed them up tight.

"It's not like he has feelings. Did you hear the way…the way…he talked about them?" Iruka whispered to himself, trying to justify his outburst.

The words he had yelled at Kakashi echoed in his head still.

' _Friend Killer Kakashi…Friend Killer Kakashi'_

* * *

' _Friend Killer Kakashi…Friend Killer Kakashi…'_

The words repeated themselves in Kakashi's head. He had perched himself on a tall tree, his long legs dangling underneath the branch. He looked up at the glowing orb of the moon. Memories came back to him in flashes.

 _Obito._

 _Rin._

 _Friend Killer Kakashi._

 _Friend Killer Kakashi._

 _Friend Killer Kakashi._

That was who Iruka thought he was. Kakashi did not know why this, in particular, hurt him so much. Many people disliked him, hated him even, but this bothered him. Sweet, kind Iruka who never had a mean word to say to anyone thought he was just a cold-blooded murderer. Somehow that hurt Kakashi in a way he had never been hurt before.

 _'And_ _maybe…'_ thought Kakashi _, 'maybe he's right. Friend Killer Kakashi.'_

The sun was hidden behind the fog this morning. Iruka felt the cold nip at his cheeks as he walked to the Ninja Academy. He took a seat at the front of the classroom and began to organize his papers. Class was not to begin for another half hour.

Iruka enjoyed the serenity of the early morning at the Academy. The building was quiet except for the creaks of the building settling. Early morning fog had settled into the valley and made the classroom dark with the exception of the lightly flickering candle on Iruka's desk.

Kakashi pressed his ear to the door of the classroom. He could hear papers rustling. He inhaled deeply and walked in.

* * *

Iruka stared. He had not been expecting anyone to be at the Academy this early. And he was especially not expecting Kakashi.

"I…" Kakashi started, but he trailed off.

Iruka maintained eye contact, waiting to see what elite Ninja would say.

"I…wanted to tell you…that I…." Kakashi stumbled over his words uncharacteristically,

Finally, he spit it out in one lump.

"ThatI'msorryformybehavioryesterday."

Kakashi sighed. He sounded like a two-year old apologizing for stealing a sweet from the candy drawer. Iruka had that effect on people.

"You don't have to apologize," Iruka said quietly. He continued to sort through his papers.

Under his mask, Kakashi bit his lip. He felt uneasy.

"Can I help you with that?" Kakashi asked, blushing deeply.

This stunned Iruka. He paused.

Then he said, "Of course you can. I'm just dividing them up by grade. There should be a pile for each grade."

Kakashi silently helped with the sorting.

"Iruka," he said about five minutes later.

Iruka raised his eyebrows.

"Iruka Sensei," Kakashi gulped almost inaudibly, "why did you call me….that name….yesterday?"

Iruka was suddenly very interested in his own hands.

"I was angry. I lost my temper. I'm sorry for hurting your feelings."

"I never said my feelings were hurt."

"…Well…were they?"

This silenced Kakashi. They were, they were, _they were!_ And Iruka knew that. He didn't need to ask, why did he have to ask?

"No."

"Kakashi."

"Hm?"

"Don't lie."

Kakashi made eye contact with Iruka for the first time in their entire conversation. Kakashi felt like red lights were flashing in his head. Danger! Danger! Danger! Too close. He was letting Iruka see too much into his emotions; he was letting his guard down too much.

But it was too late to pull his mask back up.


End file.
